Voting Rights

I am tired of hearing people like Russell Brand criticise and whine (particularly as Brand is doing very well out of the current system he claims to hate) when they cannot even be bothered to do two simple things that can start to make a difference: think and vote.

Whoever or wherever you are in Britain today the sad fact is millions of people mainly the under 30's are not exercising their right to vote, under 56% of under 24's are registered compared to 96% of over 65's...

Guilfoyle has not been smart enough to realise she been co-opted by a misogynistic culture, being made the mouthpiece for a worrying trend which she was in a position to reject. Luckily, the sort of young women whose experience she distrusts, often prove to be far more savvy when it comes to equality in the media.

Voting is an important part of life and it is important to me. This is the same for lots of people with a learning disability too. A new Mencap survey of people with a learning disability shows that 7 in 10 people think politics is important and want to vote in the general election in May 2015.

There are still a large number of people who feel excluded from important votes and who are frustrated at not being able to exercise their right to vote, simply because the traditional process has not moved on. How can it be that in 2014, people with sight loss still cannot vote as easily as everyone else?

Maybe it's me but making a statement is something that makes some kind of impact, a wave or at the very least a ripple, preferably more. Yet when Russell and his new political brand and the likes of Jeremy Paxman say they don't vote, they have a political platform...

I suggested a few days ago that urging people not to vote might not be the most effective way to bring about fundamental political change... Here are my thoughts on some other ways of acting politically without necessarily having to faff about putting a mark on a ballot paper next to the name of someone for whom you may have nothing but contempt. My slogan for today (yes, I know it's not original) is: Think Big, Act Small.

As 6 May looms (the date after the final votes are cast in Malaysia), I feel a certain excitement and dread for what the future holds. But I rest in the solace that I have done my part, and I hope you do yours too, fellow Malaysians.

Quite a few people who I like and respect have spoken to me recently saying something along the lines of 'Can you believe they are telling us we should give prisoners the vote? Why the hell should prisoners have the vote?'